Sewing-machine



W. C. FREE.

SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IAII.3I, I9I6.

Patented June 8,1920.

VSpe-cicatioifi of Letters Patent.

Application mea January 31,',1e1e serial no. v75,194.

Y To all whom t may concern.' l

k Ie it known that I, IVILLIAM C. FREE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, havevinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The sewing machinecabinets hitherto in use have ordinarily consisted of boxes or closets comprising stationary back and side walls inclosing themachine `and a front door extending the width of the cabinet and designed for-access to the machine. There are a number of objections to a cabinet of this character, among which may be menf tioned that it so closely surrounds the machine and the legsandv feet of the operator as to be uncomfortably warm inv a roomr at ordinary temperatures, and particularly during hot weather. Furthermore if the sewing machine head is set symmetricallyin the center of the cabinet, which isfthe preferredl position, the needle being close to one side of the cabinet reouires the operator, in order to be directly opposite the needle as he shouldv be, to sit closely cramped against the adjacent wall of the cabinet, or else to straddle the wall. So serious is thisA disadvantage that in some makesof machines the machine head is set asymmetricallywith respect to the cabinet or the cabinet extended upon the needle side thereof in order to overcome the difficulty, thus making the cabinet objectionably large .and unwieldy. In my improved sewing machine this objection Vis obviated by not only hinging the front wall or door of the cabinet but also hinging that side wall which is adjacent the needle, the door and side being hinged respectively to the edges of the stationary side and back walls and meeting when closed to form a corner of the cabinet. The walls are mounted upon the frame proper of the machine which Vis so formed and designed with reference to the cabinet that it supports the walls ofthe latter at the corners and particularly the free edges of the hinged front and side walls when closed, and that end ofthe frame adjacent the hinged door is so formed that it presents no material obstacle to the operator sitting with the center of his body opposite the needle or transferring his foot from the outside of the frame upon that side to the treadle, or reversely. When closedthe cabinet of my ma'chine'eifectually conceals the machine proper and appears tonnes.

WILLIAM FREE, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

A Patented June 8,71`9f2f).`

like any other closed cabinet, but is readily v and quickly thrown open into position to use the machine. l c In the following specification and in the drawings accompanying and forming partl of this specilication, I have vdescribed a preferredl form of the invention.

closure isfor the purpose of exemplificatimi It is to be understood, however, .that the specific dis-` only and that the scope of the invention, is

defined in the following claims.. 4

Y Referring to the drawings Figure l Iis perspective view of a sewing machineA embodying my l.invention and,V Fig. 2a horizontalv section on the broken line 2 2 of Fig. l.

. lhe sewing machine proper may be of any. i I suitable type, as for example withV a dropV headas shown, or a stationary head or with al stationary treadle as shown or vone which may be raised with the dropping of the sewing machine head.z-The frame of the maf chine comprises end frames 3. 4, which are flat on theirexterior sides and comprise verf.. tically extending front legsy 5, 6, the lower" ends of which kare formed with outwardly and forwardly proiecting .shoulders 17, 8,

above the crotch within whichV the rollers 9;rk

10, are journaled. The vertical legsfexte'nd but a short distance above the rollers and from theirupper ends the side frames retreat as at 11, 12, to a plane about midway7 of the machine where they are .formed with vertical risers 13, 14, connected with the upper portions of said frames. The rest of the frame of the machine may be of any desired form and need not therefore Vbe del scribed. The back wall 15, of the cabinet is screwed or otherwise secured to the end frames of the machine and the stationary end wall 16 similarly fastened to that one of the end frames of the machine which is adjacent Y the same. This end wall extends from the back wall forwardly to the front edge ofthe corresponding front leg of the machine frame to which it may be secured if desired. The front wall 17 of the machine is hinged to the front edge of the stationary side wall and is of a width to extend beyond the other front leg 5 of the sewing machine frame and to rest againstthe same when in closed position. The other side'or end wall 18 of the machine is pivoted to the edge of the rear wall remote from the fixed side wall and is of a width to extend when closedrto theV plane ofthe front edge of the` machine frame leg y5, andvwhen closed said side wall rests against and isA supported by` the flat end frame of the sewing machine. The free edges of the pivoted side wall! and` front are provided respectively with a catch 19 and keeper 20', Vwhich are 'engaged when the, cabinet is closed and may be of any suitable form. The free edges of the side wall and door are correspondinglyY formed to jmake a Vclose joint and in the particular con- Y struction shown are shouldered to make a matched joint. The walls of the cabinet are formed with downwardly extending leg portions 21 whichA rest against and conceal thev legs of the sewing machine frame when the cabinet is' closed and are cut out -as a-t 22 to' fit closely over the shoulders of the roller bearings. Where a drop head is employed in the machine a folding leaf 23 which may be of' any usualV or approved form is hinged to the end of the cabinet'havingthe pivoted wall and when extended is adapted to rest' upon the' pivoted wall which formsV a substantial support therefor. Y K

It will thus be seen that. in my improved .l machinerthe cabinet when opened gives free aoY ' cea'ls the. frame.

and unconned access to the interiorV of the machine and permits the operator to sit in the preferred position referred to abovel with one leg outside thev frame, the latter being so formed as not to materially inter-y fere with the comfortable position of the operators legs and to permit the foot of the operator to be comfortably transferred. to Voutside the machine frame `or to the treadle. The cabinet walls when closed are so supported by the frame as to constitute a per.- fectly rigid structure which perfectly con- I claim: Y 1. In a sewing machine7 a rectangular head supportingfframe having legs at its several corners,-an'd a cabinet inclosing and sustained by said frame having a fixed rearV walll' and: a fixed end wall, a front'A wall piv- Y oted to the front edge of said fixed end wall andi a swinging, end wall pivoted tothe edge of the rear wall.

2L In a sewing machine, a frame rectanguf lar in plan, and acabinet inclosingVK the same comprising.' a fixed` rear Vwall secured to said frame,a fixed end wall securedlto said frame and extending forwardly to the front plane of saidV frame, a front wall pivotedV to the front edge of said fixed wall and adaptedV 'i when closed to'rest` against the front corners of said frame, and a swinging end wall hinged to the edge of the rear wall opposite' the fixed end wall and adapted when closed to rest against the adjacent end of the framel and extend to the front plane thereof and engagethe free edge of the front wall'. y

3. In a sewing machine, a frame `comprising lend frames having vertical legs at the front and rear thereof, a rear wall secured to said frame, an end wall secured to one of the 'end frames, a front wallvhinged to the front edge, of the fixed end wall vand adapted,

whenv closed to rest against the vertical front legs of the frame, and a'swinging end wall hingedV to the edge of ther-ear wall remotefrom the fixed' end wall and adaptedV when closed to rest against the corresponding end frame and the frontleg thereof and to abutv against the free edge of the front wall.

Y WiLLiAM c; FREE. Witnesses :I i f Y N. M. JOHNSON,

. W. C. MAGKEY.V iv 

